Just Down The Road A Piece

As the story goes, a Cherokee chief saw a fawn rising from its bed at dawn. Following the custom of naming a newborn after the first thing seen after its birth, the chief named his baby son “Rising Fawn”.

It’s a lovely and true story, and Rising Fawn, GA, just 28.9 miles away from Chattanooga, remains a lovely area well worth a day trip.

Arts, crafts, and bees

Lookout Mountain Pottery’s Mark Issenberg proudly states on his website: “The home of Lookout Mountain Pottery has been a local reference point for Southern Appalachian arts and crafts since 1947, when Fannie Mennen, a local printmaker, founded the Plum Nelly Clothesline Art Show.

The name ‘Plum Nelly’ is derived from contractions of the phrases: ‘Plum out of Tennessee’ and ‘Nearly out of Georgia.’ Featuring local artists and craftspeople, the show is but an historical footnote now. Today, potter Mark Issenberg has returned to contribute to that former inspiration.” Issenberg’s beautiful ash-glazed stoneware is well known to local ceramics collectors, and visiting his Rising Fawn studio is a treat. lookoutmountainpottery.com

The farm’s also the place to pick up local wildflower honey (2-lb. jar, $20, 1-lb. jar $10, “honey bear” $8) and essential oils. Johnson notes that visitors should call in advance to make sure he’s around. (423) 413-5370, foresterfarmsandapiary.com

Eatin’ and drinkin’ in Rising Fawn

The Canyon Grill on the Lookout Mountain side of Rising Fawn has won many awards over the years and remains a scenic, unique place for an excellent meal. All of their sauces, dressings and desserts are made in-house, and they source locally as much as possible. Be aware that it’s BYOB, because Dade County is dry, but the Grill does not charge corkage, so bring the wine of your choice and sip happily. canyongrill.com

For a casual bite, you won’t do better than Geneva’s Restaurant, a classic Southern “meat and three” joint. Geneva’s serves breakfast and lunch only, but opens at 7 a.m., so it’s a perfect choice for carb-loading before an active day hiking, caving, hang gliding or beekeeping.

But get there soon, as rumor has it Geneva wants to retire. genevasrestaurant.com

From sky-high to underground

Rising Fawn’s most famous attraction is of course Cloudland Canyon State Park. The stunning, 3,488-acre park attracts hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders, and those who fancy activities as diverse as geocaching and disc golf. And if you simply like getting out into nature, its waterfalls, rock formations and just general gorgeousness can’t be beat. (See December hike schedule at end of this article.) gastateparks.org/cloudlandcanyon

Not afraid of the dark? G-3 Adventures offers wild cave tours, some that are family friendly and some that are more—well—adventurous. But you’ll have to wait until April until the tours start up again. Meanwhile, you can book above-ground hikes led by the Georgia Girl Guides through G-3. g3adventures.com

If the sky’s more your style, Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding can get you up into the wild blue yonder (in tandem with an instructor) or give you lessons qualifying you to fly on your own. (Reporter’s note: Having flown tandem, I can testify this is an amazing experience.) hangglide.com

Getting There

It’s a short, 30-minute drive on 24W to 59S. Rising Fawn does have a visitor center at 24 Mason Rd. (706) 657-4488. You can also find more information on exploregeorgia.org/city/rising-fawn.